Absurdly Addictive Asparagus
Ok first things first: This is not my recipe. It’s a recipe I’ve been cooking for more than a decade (usually at Easter dinner/brunch). I found it on a little fledgling website named Food52. Turns out, it’s still one of their most popular recipes 12 years later! I love it, and find it’s a great side to everything from ham ‘n’ biscuits to roast lamb, chicken, or fish.
Funny story about Food52: When it first began, my pal Suze Yalof Schwartz (if you haven’t tried her Unplug Meditation app, you must!) sent me a note along the lines of “Hey there, my friends Amanda & Merrill are starting this community-based recipe site. I think you should try it on GMA!” I knew of the founders Amanda Hesser from Gourmet magazine and her editing of the NYT Cookbook, and Merrill Stubbs, a food writer whose work appeared in many publications. I read into this new venture, and loved what they had so far, so I tried to get them a segment on air. Alas, the powers that be thought they were “too Brooklyn” and “too niche,” so it never went anywhere. Cut to their now $300 Million valuation as a company and a reach of 24 million people. Guess they didn’t need a national spot on GMA anyway…
Back to asparagus: This dish is great because it takes mere minutes to cook, has plenty of texture, citrus, and… I guess for lack of a better phrase… “other stuff” going on besides just the asparagus. It’s a dish that is greater than the sum of its parts, and it really just hits that Spring Green Vegetable Spot.
Absurdly Addictive Asparagus
This side dish comes together in a flash, has plenty of texture, citrus, and… for lack of a better phrase… “other stuff” going on besides just the asparagus. It’s a dish that is greater than the sum of its parts, and it really just hits that Spring Green Vegetable Spot. I love it, and find it’s a great side to everything on your Spring table, be it ham ‘n’ biscuits, roast lamb, chicken, or fish.
Serves 4 (as a side)
Ingredients:
4 ounces Pancetta, diced
1-2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound Asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces on the bias
2 small Leeks (1 ¼ cups), thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 cloves garlic, minced/grated
Zest of one lemon
Zest of one small orange (about 1 teaspoon)
2 Tablespoons toasted pine nuts (or almonds, pistachios)
1 Tablespoon minced Italian Parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
In a large non-stick pan, sauté pancetta, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until crisp and lightly golden.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add leeks and sauté until they become soft, then add asparagus and sauté until it is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
Add garlic, lemon and orange zest, toasted pine nuts and parsley and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt and serve immediately.
